The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-02-10

y "fssfh WIS bl w
,. press into corner. and on Looking aroun
a ionnd my acrt nciahbor vas SccrstAr
a stanton, by and by Dixon came ALIENS
: and spying us said ''Sisnton tell him III
seens between old Abe and You tho nish
. OF the battle Of Gettysburg" sanio,
. then related The following.
n Mr.. Lincoln had been excessively soil
q e'tonA seou. The result Of thai battle 1
/. y" known that Lee had crossed int,
! fennsylssniA. threatened Washington an,
that battle bad been joined near 0otiya
burg upon which, 10 all probability, The
fate of Washington and tho issue Of the
var depended. The telcsraphie wires rsu
into the war department. and dispatches
had been received OF the results OF the
first days fight, which showed how des.
perAte was the attack, the stubbornness Of
the defence. and thai the result was in
decisive, All that day and the next Mr..
Lincoln was ia an agony Of anxiety. run.
ming, over ~ vas his won't. 10 the war Of
fcs 70 ascertAiu for himself the lstsss news
instead Of waiting for the reports 10 be
sent him by his suboraipates. Then came
long interval when nothing was hoard
from Meade, and the president was
wrought up to an intense pitch of excite
ment. Night came on, and Stanton, see
ing the president worn out with care AMI
snxiety, persuaded him to return 10 tho
White house, promising II anything came
over the wires during the night to give
him immediate information. At last to-
ward midnight came the electric flash Of
that great victory which saved the Union.
Stanton seized the despatch and ran rs
fast rs he could to the executive mansion,
up the stairs and knocked nj the room
where the president was catching fitful
sumber. "Who is there2" he heard in
the voice of Mr.. Lincoln. ''Stanton. The
door was opened and MIR. Lincoln appear
ed with light in bis hand peering throu'
Tho crack OF the door, I'm the shortest
nightdress and longest legs ss Stanton
'aid, he ever saw on human being. Be-
ore Stanton. who was ont of breath, could
ay word, the president, who had caught
With unerring instinct the expression OF
us face, gave shout OF exulta,ion. grab
'ed him with both arms around the waist
nd danced him around the chamber until
hey were both exhausted They then
at down upon trunk, and the president,
Tho was still in bis pightdress, read over
nd over again the telegram aud then dis
ussed with him the probabilities OF the
lture and the results OF tho victory until
ne day dawned.
Snch scene at midnight between two
the greatest Americans whom this gen
'ation has produced, to whom an all.wise
rovidence had committed 10 the largest
easure the fate Of republican liberty ia
lis western world, may not afford sub
ct for the loftiest conceptions OF the poet
the painter. but more than any other
cident within my knowledge IL shows
Q human nature OF these two great men
d brings them home to the hearts aud
artbstones OF the plain people OF whom
T. Linccln WAS, on whom he depended
d whom he loved. II shows him brood
9 all through those three awful days,
III al anxiety akin 10 agony which no
o could shsre--worn and weary with the
10 aud dreadful conflict between hope
d fear -treading the winepress Of his
ople alone. And at last, when the light.
10 fash had lifted the dark cloud, danc-
! like schoolboy in the ecstacy OF
light and exhibiting touch Of that
man nature which makes oil the world
n.
Is lock back over the intervening
rs to the great men anh great events OF
se historic days, bis figure rises before
memory the prandest and most msjes-
of them al There were Rianis in those
Is, but he lowered above them like y
pocstapetl or Chimborszo, He was
at In character, 10 intellect in wisdom
act. in council. In speech, In hesrt, 10
son ID everything.